The Death of a Legend
by Might is Right
Summary: Malice Winston is dying. She has served the guild faithfully and it is time to say their goodbyes.


**I was bored so I decided to get away from my other stories and write this nonromantic One-Shot. (I associate One-Shot with romance)**

**Anyways, here it is.**

**Fairy Tail, The Plague Age**

It was a sad day for Fairy Tail. Malice Winston was dying. The legendary Zephyr of Fairy Tail was about to enter the world of the dead and join the Goddess of Death in her realm. For nearly 80 years she had served under the guild Fairy Tail, earning a reputation as one of the Fairy Tail guild aces.

Her beginning was unknown, found in a dark cave inhabited with bandits. She was locked in a room, no food or water, with a book called Worm Wood. She was a small child, long blue hair that looked like Levy's, dark green emerald eyes and an intelligent smile. At such a young age she was thrown into the flames of combat, forced to defeat The Dark Trinity.

It was by her courage that Fairy Tail survived to serve as the most destructive but helpful of the Fiore guilds. She gave up her innocence at a young age to usher in a new age, where shadows were not feared and all could live a happy life. But no one thought that her death would come. No one thought that Malice the Zephyr would die, her life shortened by the infamous Burnholt Plague.

And now the guild members crowded around her bed. Makarov, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Wendy, Erza and many more were there to see her. Malice was lying in her bed in the female dormitories at Fairy Hill. People filled the room, saddened to see her die. Malice was old but she still looked young, thanks to the powers of Worm Wood.

"Why hello there. I see you all have come to see me, an old woman ready to die." Malice said weakly, coughing violently.

Makarov looked away. He hadn't been guild master the day Malice joined the guild but he remembered the day when Hades had brought the young girl to the guild, asking Makarov to take care of her. Makarov was the one who taught her everything he knew about magic and life. And now that life was being taken away. He was trying to hold back tears but the good memories kept flooding his mind and he had to look away.

"You are more than an old woman Malice. You served this guild with your life and you defended it to the death. You will not be forgotten." Gildartz said to her as she laughed weakly and pulled the covers closer to her face.

Several other guild members nodded to Gildartz's statement, many of them not alive during the Battle for Fairy Hill but hearing stories of it.

"But, what if there is a cure! I cant accept this! This is just like if Old Man died!" an angry voice shouted from the crowd of mages in the old dorm room.

"Be quiet hot head!"

"Natsu! Be more respectful! Malice is going through a hard time!"

Malice and Makarov knew exactly who was speaking. Natsu, the flame headed Dragon Slayer and his friends Gray, Lucy and Erza where trying to make him shut up. But somehow Natsu broke away from their grasps and came running through the crowd and gripped the bed with such force that the wooden footboard developed several cracks. His face angry as he spoke to the sick woman.

"Come on! There's no way you can lose to something like this! Can't you just heal yourself with that book of yours?" Natsu shouted, sadness turning to anger as he thought of a life without a fellow guild member to laugh with.

"Natsu! Stop shouting. Can't a dying woman have any peace? You have known me for your whole life, and now it is time for me to go." Malice scolded as she started to cough violently once again.

Lucy and Erza came forward to drag Natsu back before he could do more damage to the bed. He didn't go quietly and Gray and Elfman had to usher him out of the room. Malice watched the group leave the room and smiled as she turned back to everyone else in the room. She specifically looked at Freed and Reedus.

"The tomb is ready I suppose?" Malice asked Freed and Reedus.

The 2 nodded and Malice looked at Makarov. He could already see the light dying in her eyes. She only had a few moments left…

**Fairy Tail graveyard**

The line of Fairy Tail mages walked down the long stone steps and through various tunnels within Malice's tomb. It was huge with most of it being underground. Finally, the group came to a large stone altar with a big portrait of Malice done by Reedus. Underneath it was a small box that was carved into the altar. Malice was slowly laid into the coffin and everyone stepped back as Makarov went up the stone altar steps, carrying the book Worm Wood and placed it between Malice's hands so that it appeared that Malice was hugging the book. Makarov turned away from the altar and looked back, the tears now coming down. He took in every good memory and the place of her final resting place. The sloped walls, the yellow stone floor and the musty but comfortable smell of the tomb itself and then he turned and walked out of the burial room, remembering all the memories.

After the tomb was sealed, Freed turned and looked at the stone door. He touched the door and he spoke.

"Rune Magic!"

Once Freed was finished, he turned away and followed everyone else back into the guild. The clouds were gray and soon, rain poured onto the graveyard and mixed with the tears everyone had shed. The Burnholt Plague had claimed another victim.


End file.
